英雄迟暮美人白头
[yīng xióng chí mù mĕi rén bái tóu]
This is an ancient Chinese saying 'Heroes get old and beauties' hair turn white', describing inevitable changes as everyone has their prime and then gradually declines into older age; no matter how magnificent and perfect one was previously, they will still experience aging and fading beauty eventually. This carries a sense of helplessness or melancholy about time passage and destiny changes, which is a cultural recognition and expression about life stages within a long history and profound literary tradition background.